(For the Children)

International adoption in China has been thriving for the past decade, with thousands of children being placed into loving “forever families” every year. In fact, so many beautiful children have been given a second chance at life that countless overcrowded orphanages are now just quiet vestiges of their former selves. With the continued departure of healthy children from orphanages, however, one thing has become painfully clear: the majority of those that remain have special needs. Common conditions include Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and Cleft Lip/Palate, just to name a few.

China is very much so a “2nd world country.” In the glitzy and glamorous cities of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Beijing, one would not feel out of place sporting the latest fashion trends while playing with the most up-to-date technology. In the rural farming communities of China, however, one may be hard pressed to find running water and electricity. The wealth disparity is vast, and reliable access to properly educated medical personnel is near impossible for the majority of special needs orphans. And without access to proper medical care and physical therapy, many of these children lag far behind developmentally compared to their counterparts in the West.

We will be biking across China (from Beijing in the north to Hong Kong in the south) in the summer of 2008 in order to raise money and awareness for special needs children living in Chinese orphanages. We will be donating all proceeds to Red Thread Charities, a 501(c)3 certified non-profit organization based in Minnesota “dedicated to serving the needs of Chinese orphans through training programs and humanitarian aid projects.”